Southern Brazil hit by the worst floods in more than 80 years
These residents of Rio Grande do soon Brazil’s southernmost states are among thousands who have taken refuge in shelters after being forced from their homes by torrential rains battering the area. I lost everything. I lifted some furniture that I could, but I believe I lost everything. I really am desperate. There are many people who have lost their lives. I raised my hands to the sky and thank God that I’m still alive. Now I’m just asking God to give me another home to live in. The storms have transformed streets into rivers in several towns, as well as giving rise to landslides and the partial collapse of a dam structure at a hydroelectric power plant, according to authorities. Dozens of people have been and at least 24,000 have been displaced. It’s the worst disaster ever recorded in the history of Rio Grande, perhaps one of the biggest disasters the country has ever seen, at least in recent history. And it’s extremely distressing because the weather has been unrelenting since Monday. The state is situated between polar and tropical atmospheres. Consequently, it experiences a weather pattern with bouts of heavy rain and others of drought. The pattern has grown more intense due to climate change, according to local scientists. President Lula has promised that the government will back rescue and rebuilding.